Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday

This Sunday is Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday. As a concrete sign of our thanksgiving to God for the fruits of the earth, every parishioner is asked to bring at least one item of basic foodstuff, especially the “daily essentials” – coffee/tea, long-life milk, cereal, pasta and rice, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, curry/pasta sauce, tinned stew or chilli – to place in front of the altar before Mass, which will then be donated to the CHAT Foodbank, which continues to be very low on stock.

October Prayer Intention – Prayer for the Synod

On Tuesday, 4 October, the Synod opens in Rome to reflect on the results of the listening process that has taken place in parishes and communities throughout the Church, a Synod which, for the first time, will include lay men and women with the right to vote alongside the Bishops. Pope Francis has clearly stated that “without prayer there will be no Synod” and so asks us to pray for the Church “that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a lifestyle at every level and allow herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the peripheries of the world”. See www.popevideo.org. In his letter to the Bishops of the world, Cardinal Mario Grech, the General Secretary of the Synod, reminds them that prayer is first and foremost listening, then prayer is adoration, intercession and thanksgiving.

An Ecumenical Prayer Vigil (www.together2023.net) will take place in Rome this Saturday afternoon, 30 September, which will be live streamed on www.vaticannews.va and on the Vatican YouTube Channel.

Good News for our Church in Tiverton!

After many years of unfulfilled promises and unrealised plans, this week we were finally granted planning permission to proceed with the extension and rebuilding of St James! This is a major step forward and marks a new stage in the process. Let us give thanks to God for this blessing for our community.

CAFOD Harvest Fast Day

This coming Friday, 6 October, is the CAFOD Harvest Fast Day. Please take an envelope with you today and return it with your offering next weekend.

Lost Property

A number of items of clothing and a walking stick have been left in St James over the last few months. They are on the hooks at the entrance to the church. Please take a look to see if anything belongs to you. If they remain unclaimed, we will donate them to a Charity Shop.

Catholic Children Society Recycling Boxes

New Orange Boxes for items which can be recycled to raise money for the Catholic Children’s Society can be found at the entrance to church in St James and in the hall at St Boniface. A leaflet listing the types of things that can be recycled is attach to the Newsletter.

First Holy Communion 2024

If you have a child, aged 7 or over, who you would like to start preparation for the reception of First Confession and First Holy Communion next year, please pick up an application form at the entrance to church or download a copy from the parish website and return it to the Parish Office as soon as possible.

Day of Reflection for the World Day of the Poor 2023

All are welcome to come and spend the day at St Rita’s Centre, Honiton, on Saturday 14 October, 10.30am-3.30pm (lunch included) to pray and reflect on Pope Francis’s message for the 7^th World Day of the Poor – “Do not turn away your face from anyone who is poor”(Tobit 4:7) – and how we are called to respond.  There will be two thought-provoking guest speakers with national and international reputations: David Wells, a well-known author and popular motivational speaker from our own Diocese, and Jenny Sinclair, founder of Together for the Common Good. They will leave participants feeling both uplifted and challenged. Come along to celebrate those who give their time to others and reflect on how we can extend the hand of welcome. Places are filling up fast for this FREE event so booking is essential by 2 October by emailing caritas@prcdtr.org.uk.

Exeter Deanery Liturgy and Music Day

 Are you involved in, or interested in liturgy and music in the parish? Do you want to find out more about using music to enhance the liturgy? The Deanery is privileged to welcome Jo Boyce and her friends to Blessed Sacrament Church in Exeter for a day of uplifting teaching, music and worship on Saturday 14 October, 10.15am-6.00pm. Jo will be helping us to understand how music can be used to enhance liturgy. By sharing teaching and techniques she will deepen our formation, knowledge and skills to use within our parish settings. The day will start at 10.15am with tea and coffee in the St Richard Reynolds Centre next to the Blessed Sacrament church and finish with the celebration of Mass in the church at 6.00pm. Please bring a packed lunch. There is plenty of parking on site. Bring your voice, an instrument if you play one, and most importantly, your desire and enthusiasm for praising God in the Liturgy of the Church. To let us know to expect you, please complete the form by clicking this link.

August Parish Giving

Loose: £892.71 Contactless: £280.00 Standing Order: £2792.00

Beetle Drive

This coming Friday, 6 October, the Tiverton Soroptimists will be holding a Beetle Drive in the Hall at St James at 7.00pm to raise money for Unite Carers Tiverton and for a small project in Sierra Leone. Tickets will cost £5.00 for adults and £2.50 for children. The evening is open to all, so come along, have fun and help support these two worthy causes.